Christmas.
Baubles.
Tinsel. Snow.
Turkeys.
Reindeer. Last-minute shopping on Amazon Prime.
Except,
if you're reading this, you're probably more into the real meaning of
Christmas, aren't you?
Jesus.
Mary. Joseph.
Shepherds.
Angels. Magi.
Magi?
What are they?
Well, if
you're into romantic fiction (which I'm not), I imagine the Magi are just the
kind of people for you.
Mysterious
strangers, from far-off lands. Matthew describes them, in the second chapter of
his gospel (Matthew 2:1-12). Why not read that before you carry on here?
Whether
we're fans of Christian romance or not, we should certainly find these
mysterious Magi fascinating.
Why? Not
just because of the intrigue of the unusual. But because of what Matthew tells
us they do.
See, the
chief priests and teachers of the law. The ones who knew the Scriptures which
spoke about Jesus. They should have been the ones worshipping Jesus.
But they
didn't. They ignored him.
And King
Herod, he should have come to pay homage to the true King of Israel, the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords.
But he
didn't. Instead, in his insecure grasping after power at all costs, he was
intent on regicide, and infanticide.
And
meanwhile.
Meanwhile.
These
strange men. From a pagan nation. Outside of the covenant people of God. They
seek out the one who had been born king of the Jews.
They go
to him.
And they
worship him.
So, this
Christmas, here's two things to think about and act on.
First,
make sure you're not like the Scribes and Pharisees, who ignore Jesus. Don't
get so excited about presents, so anxious about visits from wider family, or
EVEN so concerned that you invite a nonchristian neighbour to a Christmas
service, that you forget to spend time delighting.
Delighting
in who Jesus is. The promised son of Abraham and David. The eternal son of God.
And
delighting in what Jesus has done. To quote the Nicene Creed:
For us men and for our salvation
He came down from heaven
By the power of the Holy Spirit
He was born of the Virgin Mary
And became man
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius
Pilate;
He suffered, died, and was buried
On the third day he rose again
In accordance with the Scriptures
He ascended into heaven
And is seated at the right hand of the
Father
For US (people), he became a man.
For OUR
SAKE he was put to death on the cross. (By the way, for eighteen years, I
considered myself a Christian, but had no real understanding of the importance
of Jesus' death on the cross. If that's where you're at, let me encourage you
to watch this video. I'm sure you'll find it very helpful) https://www.solas-cpc.org/shortanswers32/
And for
we who know who Jesus is, and what he has done. What a great price he paid, to
bring us into his family. To forgive us. To give us fullness of life now and
forever. Shouldn't that make us want to worship him, even when we discover the
turkey won't fit in the oven, and the dog's eaten all the pigs in blankets?
So, take
time this Christmas to delight in Jesus. To worship Jesus.
Because
nobody should ever put this baby in the corner.
And
here's the second thing to think about and act on.
God
brings people who we wouldn't expect, to worship Jesus. He brought men from
outside of the nation of Israel. Non-Jews. Utter pagans. But they came. And
they worshipped.
And if
you live in the UK, or much of the global west, that's incredibly good news,
isn't it?
Because
the percentage of people with a church background is shrinking in this country.
But
people brought up in the church aren't the only people God brings to worship
Jesus Christ, are they? Pagans. Magi. People of every religion, and no
religion.
THESE
are also the kinds of people God brings to worship his Son.
So, go
ahead. Invite that agnostic neighbour to church.
Ring
that religiously-disinterested brother on Christmas day, and tell him what you
did in the morning, and (briefly!) what the minister spoke about.
Pray for
the opportunity and boldness to ask that colleague from another country whether
they celebrate Christmas, and what they think about it all.
Because
who knows? God might bring them to worship Jesus.
Every
blessing
Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter
Outreach
Worker
Carey
Baptist Church, Reading
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